Spring and Summer

Hello all:)

Today is (DRUMROLL PLEASE)... my day off. I literally cannot pin down the last time I had one of these glorious things. Thank you Lord! I think I'll spend it updating you lovely people on what I did on my many, many "un-days-off." That is to say, March-July. Here goes!

MARCH

March was an interesting month because although I technically wasn't working under contract anywhere I was racing around constantly. I did a few galas and voiceover gigs, but more excitingly...

I taught Music Theory and sight-singing, in German!! Music Theory is basically the math behind music (Chord structure and analysis, and so forth). As you can imagine, it's not the most popular subject with students because, well...it's hard. And sightsinging (which I was called upon more often to teach) is even harder. Sightsinging teaches you to be able to pick up a piece of music you've never seen before and immediately sing it-- WITHOUT the help of a piano or other instrument. It's exactly like reading English, except you read notes (pitches, rhythms and sometimes songtext), knowwhatImean? Sounds like an unnecessary skill but, trust me, I use it every day.

AAAAANYHOW, I have taught both subjects at many levels before, but of course, always in English. I got a call asking if I would teach in German at my former academy in Hamburg. The challenge was three-fold:
1. Explain complicated concepts in German
2. Teach students that were actually my peers 2 years ago (awkward!)
3. Make Music theory fun to anyone but me. (sigh)

God gave me a brilliant idea! We skipped the Bach Chorales and went straight to sight reading Beyonce and Lady Gaga and popular musicals. It was a hit!

Here's a video of one of my classes sightsinging ABBA in 4-part harmony. I was proud:)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mDBompLoPE

Ok, ok. as incredibly cool as "music-math" is, it cannot compare to the bestest thing we did in March...visit SCOTLAND!

Some dear friends of ours, Alexis and Jayson, got married this March in gorgeous Edinburgh...wait for it..in a CASTLE! (Talk about your dream wedding!) Not only were we invited as *surprise* guests for Lexi and Jay, we had the oppurtunity to perform a concert of love songs for them and their family/guests. What a fabulous week!

shopping with the man

Freezin' my tail off after the ceremony. It was probably 40 degrees. I'm holding it together pretty well, but look at my neck-- f r e e z i n g!

more shopping :o)

The bride!

Outside our hotel

The view from the castle!

things we didn't buy

things we almost bought;)

Aaaaand that, my friends, was Scotland. To see my whole Edinburgh album, follow this link to my facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150139101563587.278406.509578586&l=21d5dfa6c8&type=1

(You do not have to have a facebook account to view this album)

APRIL


April was cool. I started to memorize all of my lines and music for Aida

I did some galas here and there.

aaaand got flown to Vienna and performed for Whoopi Goldberg.

Let me rewind:). So after a lot of belting and a lot of praying (often at the same time) I recieved the news that I was chosen to perform in the Vienna premiere of Sister Act the musical! If you are familiar with the Broadway production, this is the same exact show with the same exact production value, (multi million Euro) budget, set, lights, choreography, costumes, and producer...Miss Whoopi Goldberg herself! The production in Vienna is, of course, in German. And I am so flattered to be part of it. I was cast in the featured role of "Michelle" and am the cover for "Deloris Van Cartier." This means that several times a month I will be playing the role that Whoopi originated in the movie!

In April, I was flown to Vienna to attend and perform at our first large press conference!
There's my little face in the middle next to Ms. Goldberg! We performed "Raise Your Voice,"got to listen to some great advice and tips from Whoopi and did a lot of smiling for the cameras. Fun, exhausting day!


MAY

In May, rehearsals for my first title role in German, AIDA, began! Eeek! I have loved AIDA since I saw it on Broadway ten years ago with my Mommy. Back then, I never dreamed that I would get to play the Nubian Princess myself :).

I had never before learned such a large role in German. The score alone is about 300 pages long (EXcluding spoken dialogue). The trickiest part is that it all has to be accent free. I cannot sound like an American speaking German. I trained really hard with my phonetics coach and with some wonderful friends, and before the first day of rehearsals I was completely memorized (and accent free!)

I also did some "just for fun" preparation for the role :)

The book is called "Ancient Egypt for Dummies"

One super great thing about May is that I moved to a city that was only an hour away from the hubby. It's pretty unorthodox, I know, but we have often worked in separate cities and sometimes even different countries. We are grateful when we are not too far apart. In April, Hubby dearest moved out of our Hamburg apartment to the city of Hanau in order to begin rehearsals for his show: Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves. He was sensational. I lived in the city of Klingenberg and was only two train rides away:)

See, I told you:)

JUNE

In June, the rehearsals for AIDA were in full swing. I was giving interviews (in German!!) and had done several promotional events. The city was full of AIDA paraphernalia and apparently commercials were airing all over the area. (I have no idea. I don't watch TV :o))

I premiered my dream role on June 22, 2011.

after the show

JULY

Oh, July. I have never had a busier month in my life. Thank you to those folks who were praying for me. I needed every bit of it. In July, I began rehearsals for Sister Act. However, I was still playing Aida. Keep in mind, Sister Act is in Vienna, Austria, and AIDA is in Klingenberg, Germany. I was literally doing two musicals in two different countries at the same time. There were days that looked like this:

• 4:50 AM - Taxi driver rings bell to pick me up
• 6AM - Arrive at Frankfurt Airport
• 7:50 - Fly to Vienna
• 9AM - Land in Vienna and wait for luggage
• 10AM - Arrive at theater for Sister Act rehearsal
• 10-3PM learn a slew of new songs and choreography
• 3PM - Taxi to Vienna Airport
• 3:40PM - Arrive Vienna Airport
• 4:50PM - Fly to Frankfurt
• 6:15 - Taxi from Frankfurt Airport to Klingenberg
• 7PM- Arrive in Klingenberg...Shower
• 7:30 - Arrive in "Hair and Makeup"
• 8:30 - Onstage as Aida

Show ran until 11:30. I was usually out of the theater by midnight.
Once again, thanks for prayin'.

This kind of thing went on for 2 1/2 weeks. Oh! I almost forgot to mention I had guests THE WHOLE TIME! My friends and family are awesome. Truly awesome. They traveled from all over the country (and in 3 wonderful cases, the GLOBE) to come see me play AIDA.

Thank you Mommy, Ma (Edress), Pop (Robert), Ratan, Alex, Myrthes, Ursula, Christian, Sinje, Dirk, Werner, Adina, Rudy, Jacky, Ryan. You all made me feel so loved.

The hubby was also working two different jobs in two different cities in July. Thank God our parents are so uncomplicated! Wherever we went/worked they came with!:)))))

We all got to spend my birthday together in Kiefersfelden (on the German/Austrian border) where Hubby was teaching dance.


Speaking of Kiefersfelden, I got to go back to speak at the International Performing Arts Institute once again. Wonderful students, great talent! Unfortunately didn't get any photos of my workshop but so I enjoyed my time with this group!

Yay, family!

During our time in Bavaria, Ma and I found some traditional Bavarian dresses (Dirndl) to try on (and Ma bought hers!)

Mommy was put on luggage-duty as the rest of us went hunting something to eat.

On July 31st, I played my final AIDA performance in Klingenberg.

Here's a photo of the encore.

6 hours later I was on a plane to Vienna.

So I guess this is no longer my Germany-blog... cuz I don't live in Germany:). Life is funny. It is wonderful, this adventure that we're on. And I am so, so thankful to God because I am fully aware that I can't do any of it without Him.

Thanks for your patience and your love and your general fabulous-ness. I love you guys.

Hugs from AUSTRIA!
s i d.